ou: she knows well enough the
risk she runs!"

While he spoke, Donal, waiting his turn, stood as on hot iron. Such
sayings were in his ears the foul talk of hell. The moment the earl
ceased, he turned to Forgue, and said:--

"My lord, you have removed my harder thoughts of you! You have indeed
broken your word, but in a way infinitely nobler than I believed you
capable of!"

Lord Morven stared dumbfounded.

"Your comments are out of place, Mr. Grant!" said Forgue, with
something like dignity. "The matter is between my father and myself. If
you wanted to beg my pardon, you should have waited a fitting
opportunity!"

Donal held his peace. He had felt bound to show sympathy with his enemy
where he was right.

The earl was perplexed: his one poor ally had gone over to the enemy!
He took a glass from the table beside him, and drank: then, after a
moment's silence, apparently of exhaustion and suffering, said,

"Mr. Grant, I desire a word with you.--Leave the room, Forgue."

"My lord," returned Forgue, "you order me from the room to confer with
one whose presence with you is an insult to me!"

"He seems to me," answered his father bitterly, "to be after your own
mind in the affair!--How indeed should it be otherwise! But so far I
have found Mr. Grant a man of honour, and I desire to have some private
conversation with him. I therefore request you will leave us alone
together."

This was said so politely, yet with such latent command, that the youth
dared not refuse compliance.

The moment he closed the door behind him,

"I am glad he yielded," said the earl, "for I should have had to ask
you to put him out, and I hate rows. Would you have done it?"

"I would have tried."

"Thank you. Yet a moment ago you took his part against me!"

"On the girl's part--and for his honesty too, my lord!"

"Come now, Mr. Grant! I understand your prejudices, I cannot expect you
to look on the affair as I do. I am glad to have a man of such sound
general principles to form the character of my younger son; but it is
plain as a mountain that what would be the duty of a young man in your
rank of life toward a young woman in the same rank, would be simple
ruin to one in lord Forgue's position. A capable man like you can make
a living a hundred different ways; to one born with the burden of a
title, and without the means of supporting it, marriage with such a
girl means poverty, gambling, hunger, squabbling, dirt--suicide!"

"My